Americathon (1979) on Netflix
America has no oil left and pays for everything in gold. President Chet Roosevelt hires TV consultant Eric McMerkin to stage a national telethon and keep the country from being repossessed.
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- Netflix2.3/5
- IMDb4.6/101,015 votes
- Rotten TomatoesNot available
Trailer
Plot summary
By 1998 the United States has burned through its oil and paper currency has no value, so trade happens in gold. Stationary cars serve as homes, and people jog, cycle or skate where they once drove. Chet Roosevelt, a former governor of California who favors positive slogans, wins the presidency, but the fundraising events he stages do not succeed. The money that keeps the government running is borrowed from Sam Birdwater, a billionaire who heads a Native American cartel and controls Nike. Birdwater goes on television to demand repayment of the billions he says he is owed, and the government, operating out of a condominium in Marina del Rey, faces foreclosure. Roosevelt brings in young TV consultant Eric McMerkin, and the two settle on a telethon hosted by celebrity Monty Rushmore as the way to raise the money.
Cast
Did you know?!Facts and trivia about Americathon (1979)
Can contain spoilers, watch the movie first.
- To promote the movie, Ted Coombs roller-skated across the United States and back, earning a place in the Guinness Book of World Records.
- The actor John Carradine was cast as Uncle Sam in the film, but his scenes did not make the final cut.
- In a scene with a song by Vietnamese singer Mouling Jackson (played by TV director Zane Buzby), a large poster of actor Burt Kwouk appears; the photo is actually taken from the 1968 film The Shoes of the Fisherman, where Kwouk played Chinese leader Chairman Peng.
